Currently- got my dad's old Nishiki custom road bike about a year ago and fixed it up it's still in really good condition; was riding some Pepsi/Fila sponsored bike after I got into MTB about 3 months ago; then I got my KHS XC-204 2 weeks ago

With the exception of the last couple of bikes I always sold one bike to purchase the next one. I've dropped close to 40lbs (nothing left to lose) and attribute it to riding, which is true, but I still use it to sell my wife on my addiction

Banana seat bike with chopper handlebars and small cranks it suuuuucked but my dad got rid of my blue bike that I could actually ride fast. It sucked.

Black Huffy-Bike of my dreams, my whole christmas revolved around getting a BMX bike. Finally getting it was a feeling that has not yet been duplicated. Which lasted me until.....

1989 Dyno Detour- In Red, I was in my hayday with this bike let me tell you. This bike was scheemed and plotted over for months before I ordered it. Feverishly flipping through BMX PLUS! magazine. It came down to GT Vertigo vs Dyno Detour, I liked the layed back seatpost and handlebars of the Dyno so I went it. I bunny hopped countless obstacles and garbage cans with this and it always saw me through.

Early 90's Haro with bent top tube and speckled purple on gray paint job, it was light! It got ran over in the driveway.

Giant Allgre Road bike. It was red and orange, I never really got into it at the time, I ended up selling it for $200 cause some DOUCHE ripped me off (You know who you are, and no I havent forgotten.)

GT Bike in black with Triple Triangle and SLX components, a heavy beast with a long ass top tube. It got STOLEN. It was my only form of transportation at the time. I would have killed someone that night.

1997 Mongoose RockadileSX- An amazing hardtail with perfect geometry, and a strong lightweight frame that lasted me 10! YEARS. My first bike with a front fork.

I don't really recall any of my bikes before I was 7 years old but I know I had a couple. Up until I was 11 years old, I had many different Japanese market bikes since I lived in Tokyo. I was always wrenching as a kid so I had a about 3 fix up bikes including a banana seat chopper style bike, a ridiculously heavy Yamaha(?) full suspension bike that actually used a front fork from a moto bike, and another fixer upper. I also had a couple of cool Japanese market boys bikes with dual pop up headlamps, brakelights, turn signals and and a top tube mounted 5 speed shifter with a digital display. Man those were cool bikes.

Anyway, all the above were destroyed one night when my father ran them over with his car during an angry rage he had when we got in a fight. Man......I will never forget that night

He replaced that bike for me a few weeks later with a 21 speed Panasonic road bike which was stolen when my sister took it the corner deli after we moved to NYC.

That was replaced with a chrome Murray BMX bought from TSS(Times Square Stores). I upgraded and fixed that bike up quite a lot. Two days after buying some Skyway wheels for it, I was mugged in a NYC park and lost that one.

A year or two passed by till I bought my next bike, a '86 Haro Sport which I bought new for about $360. I remember that figure cause it was a lot of money for a 15 year olds life savings. I bought it, rode it for about a month or two and then started 'hanging out' with the guys so I no longer had a use for a bike. Thankfully, I never got rid of it and this is how it looks today. The tires are the only thing I've replaced. I wish I could score some white tires for it but these modern Haro tire's were the next best thing I could find.

Got a drivers license, and never cared to ride till I graduated college. Received a '95 Cannondale Killer-V 900 as a grad gift from the folks. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, I had no idea bikes came in different sizes and the lbs sold me a XL frame (I'm 5'7") although I vividly remember telling the sales guy that it feels a little big. Between my eagerness to get a bike, falling in love with the Killer-V and they're reassurance that it's fine for me,I foolishly took it. I never felt comfortable riding it off road so it became a 'road bike' sort of speak and I still use it, although it's far from comfortable for me.

Finally, I bought a brand new second hand C'dale Rize 3 a month and half ago and can't stop riding it. I've been on it almost everyday since I bought it and I'm absolutely enthralled at how much fun it is to ride again.

Sometimes when I'm alone on the trail, I feel as carefree as I did as a kid again No fancy car or whatever can do that....

Two countries. Two different definitions of a bike.

INDIA:

Note: All the bikes I had in India were single speed. No one knew what a geared bike was.

Hero Devil (I won it in a lottery when I went to this video game place...was 9 years old)
Atlas bicycle(1957 model)...passed on to me from my dad....BEST BIKE ON THIS PLANET.
Hercules Trailblazer(I remember riding it on the compound walls of a horse race club)
Atlas Messenger(1995 model)...passed on to me from my dad...again.
Hercules MTB(first mountain bike...had no suspension....was riding to school...someone opened the car door)
Salston cyclaid.(It is preserved at our ancestral home....never to be touched)
Hercules summit(was stolen after 3 months of ownership)

U.S.A:

Raleigh(had nothing else written on it.....was heavy...very heavy $35)
Schwinn roadmaster(steel frame with gears on at the end of the bars)
Motobecane(1970's model road bike with vintage light, rusted original chain?, red spokes)
Trek 4500(bought used for $200....worst bike I ever had)
Specialized stumpjumper(bought for $250...was stolen after 8 days)

Hi The Lw 18 Speed Mt Sport Will You Tell Me More Or Send Pic I Think I Have It But You Only Search That Seems Close To What I Have Thanks If You Can Describe Components Cranks Rims Etc. A Pic Would Be Marvelous Dahling Please Respond Im Going Crazy Trying To Figure Out If Its Worth My Time Seems Like It Is

Some sort of HT MTB that I spent riding mostly around the neighborhood and business parking lots in the mid 90's

Late 90's Cannondale HT MTB - bought used (don't remember the model) for riding in college in Western NC, and gave to a younger neighbors kid before transfering to college in Raleigh a couple years later.

For a while, I was really into Titus bikes. I had 2 Quasimotos and a Moto-Lite. Later, I had a chance to ride my friend's Moment and my brother's Id. I really liked the way the bikes handled. So, I eventually replaced my Titus bikes with Ellsworths. Over the years, I've picked up several models. My bro also has an Epiphany, a Moment, and a Rogue. There are many excellent bikes out there, as you have mentioned. I've tried other bikes, but haven't found anything I like more. As for titanium, I've always loved the stuff. Unfortunately, it's a little too flexy for full suspension. I would've loved to get a hold of an IF Tungsten Electrode. But, I had to settle for a Seven Duo. I liked the Duo, but never really got into the Monolink suspension. So, when I came across a good deal on a TiRUTH frame, I bit. My latest ti purchase is my Jones Spaceframe. I don't foresee replacing that anytime soon.

Originally Posted by m0ngy

Wow, an Ellsworth for every occaision, and why not, they're beautiful bikes. I take it your habit is well funded.

Purely out of curiosity, and i'm not really suggesting one is better than the other, but why Ellsworth and not, say, Turner (for example)?

Did The Fly turn you off Foes? I never liked the design of the early Flys, they look really heavy and used to break.

What about Santa Cruz? Never been tempted to try the single pivot genius of the Heckler? Don't tell me you're not tempted by the BlurLTc?

I can see you've got a thing for titanium (haven't we all), but I wonder why someone who can apparently afford any bike would go for one brand/design/aesthetic over another... ??

Jones bikes really take the art of simple, elegent bike design to the next level. I want one, bad. God knows what you'd pay for one here in Australia. You never, ever see any high-end Ti bikes like Jones, Moots, Black Sheep, Seven, etc here. I think I can remember seeing a Litespeed hardtail about ten years ago. I'm sure they're out there, I don't go to the XC races very often, it's very much a scene, miss a season and you're out of the loop, "man". Ellsworth, Intense, Santa Cruz, Foes, are all extremely rare (and expensive) also, which is a real pity.

Well, next to most of you I'm just an amateur. Where do some of you
store all those bikes?

I've only owed four bikes in recent years (I'm not going to even try to recall childhood bikes - too long ago):

Late '90's Specialized HardRock - my first mountain bike. A bunch of guys I worked
with at the time got me into riding again - I had not ridden a bike since I was, oh, 14 or so. After I crashed on a borrowed bike I figured
I should get my own to destroy if I was going to keep riding.
Nice, basic mountain bike.

2000 Trek 4500 - moved up to front suspension - traded in the HardRock
Gave this bike to my son (when I acquired my Fuel below), who I think rode it about a dozen
times over the last 10 years.
I got this bike back from him last year, restored it (he had left it out on his apartment
balcony for a few years), and I'm using it at the moment as an indoor trainer when it's just too nasty
to ride outside. When spring ever gets here I will take it off the trainer, install the knobby tire back on the
rear, and it will serve as a spare trail bike.

2001 Trek Fuel 90 - my first full-suspension mountain bike.
The Fuel served me well over the years. Last summer I gave it to a friend who wanted to start riding but could not afford to
buy a bike, after having the local LBS put a new chain on it and adjust everything.
The Fox rear shock finally started leaking air, so my friend and I spent a few hours one evening rebuilding it (surprisingly easy to do).
Anyway, it's still going strong and getting ridden on a regular basis.

Picked up my current ride last summer - a 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp.
I was at the local LBS with a friend who was buying a bike - I was just there for moral
support - not really looking to buy a bike. Anyway, this beauty was up on a display, and of course I went over to look at it.
I swear there was a light shining on it from somewhere above and I could hear it calling my name.
I had the salesguy get it down so I could try it out and that was all it took.

-walmart mongoose (broke)
-Giant Warp (sold to buy hardrock, due to weight)
-Specialized Hardrock (sold to buy moots, because I had a chance at a fricken MOOTS for $650!!)
-Moots smoothie Al (cracked frame, got it repaired, cracked it in a different place)
-Specialized Rockhopper (with all the parts from the moots)
-And finally my current ride: a salsa dos niner!!!! Lovin every second of it!!

I also have an eastern traildigger 24 inch bmx cruiser that I use for winter trips to rays mtb.

Bikes of my youth:
-Small questionably-boys Huffy w/ white tires and black and purple paint
-20" mountain bike with a single large 6spd shifter right above the stem
-18spd Huffy with gray paint and black and yellow specs in it.
-26" Royce Union - My first bike with suspension - stolen from my garage shortly after I got it
-26" Pacific Kodiak - Replaced the Royce Union, and my gateway into mountain biking. It was always breaking, which is how I learned how to repair and work on bikes.

Real Bikes:
-Schwinn Homegrown S-Carbon w/ XT build kit - my first quality mountain bike, paid for by mowing lawns and shoveling snow while a junior in high school. Bought all the parts online and built it myself.
-2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 2 - Sold the Schwinn while working at a bike shop and used the money to buy this bike.
-Redline Monocog - Bought this for a commuter before leaving for college, but then really fell in love with singlespeeds.
-Santa Cruz Blur w/ full XTR, King, Fox, etc... - Sold my Sugar while in college and used my shop discount to buy my dream bike. Still riding this one.
-Trek Madone 5.2 SL - Trek offered a great deal to shop employees, so this bike only cost me $1400. Have been enjoying road riding ever since.
-Gary Fisher Cronus - Having sold my Redline Monocog, I got this bike before going to law school for my commuter. The bike shop I worked at previously gave it to me for free in exchange for helping them out with a big sale one weekend. It was stolen during my first year of law school. Someone cut my lock while I was in class.
-Sette Reken 1x9 - I built up this sweet commuter / mountain bike to ease the pain of losing my Cronus, and also because I rely on a bike to get around campus. I use a much nicer lock now.

Free Agent
Mongoose Expert
PK Ripper
GT Mach One
Redline John Purse Signiture Series Cruiser
Took about a 10yr layoff and now
2010 Diamondback Sorrento(had it for 2 weeks and returned it)
2010 Specialized Hardrock

I had one or two bikes that my parents got me as a kid but I'll only list the bikes that I myself bought.

1. 1990 Giant Sedona ATX - my first mountain bike I bought during senior year of high school. It was a heavy steel rigid bike with Shimano biopace crankset but it introduced me to the wonderful world of mountain biking.
2. 1998 Specialized Stumpjumper - lighter aluminum front suspension bike that I used in my first mountain bike racing in Virginia and Maryland. Since coverted to a dedicated commuter/grocery bike.
3. 1998 Sunn Revolt - my brother bought me this pure race bike set up from the French company that had a great pro race team in both XC and Downhill during the late 90s. It was a Columbus steel hardtail with a proprietary 60mm travel fork that didn't last two seasons before the fork seals failed. I raced on this bike which was a pleasure compared to the jarring aluminum framed Stumpy.
4. 1998 Sunn XChox - my introduction to full suspension. It was a heavy aluminum bike with unbalanced suspension, again with the proprietary Sunn Obsys 55mm travel fork and coil over shock but it was a fun ride.
5. 1999 Bianchi Campione - my first and only road bike. I bought it to get some training miles in
6. 2003 Giant XTC NRS Team - my first exercise in building a bike from the frame up, I bought the frame off of ebay and parts online. It was my introduction to disc brakes and UST tubeless wheels/tires.
7. 2004 Interloc Tempest - another frame up build. Built upon a Reynolds 853 steel frame that is light years ahead of the pig steel Giant I started mountain biking on. Also the bike that has an alternative set up from the rest of my bikes. It's set up full rigid, 2x9, twist front/trigger rear.
8.2008 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp - I already had a full suspension bike but I got this one at a great closeout price at a local Specialized dealer. It's also cool to set this bike next to my 98 Stumpy and see how mountain bikes have evolved in a decade. I've changed out several parts to make it my own.
9. 2009 Salsa El Mariachi - my first 29er and first bike I bought online which I did because the selection of 29ers here in Germany is really slim. I really dig the 29 wheels and 1x9 rigid set up. It's great for the majority of riding here in Stuttgart.

I still have all the bikes minus the two Sunn bikes which were donated to my little cousin to introduce him to mountain biking. They just about get the same amount of saddle time and each brings a smile to my face when I'm peddling. I don't have the heart to sell any of them and trim down. I'll more likely to buy another bike than get rid of any.

The Stumpjumper is my current bike. Just pulled it out from a corner of the garage. I took a long break from riding. Life threw a lot of things at me that kept me from riding.

The Mongoose was the bike that I learned how to jump, wheelie, race, etc. I got it when I was ~10 years old. Had it until I was 20. I'd still have that bike if it wasn't for my wife's cousin. Little bastard got his bike stolen, so I let him borrow the Mongoose until he got himself a new one. So what does the little sh!t do? Sells it for drugs. Thought I was going to kill him! I still don't forgive him for that.

I started riding in 2006 and have gone through quite a few bikes but I am planning keeping the El Padrino and Spot for a long while. Used to be a little bit of a bike whore but I am settling down now...

Banana seat bike with chopper handlebars and small cranks it suuuuucked but my dad got rid of my blue bike that I could actually ride fast. It sucked.

Black Huffy-Bike of my dreams, my whole christmas revolved around getting a BMX bike. Finally getting it was a feeling that has not yet been duplicated. Which lasted me until.....

1989 Dyno Detour- In Red, I was in my hayday with this bike let me tell you. This bike was scheemed and plotted over for months before I ordered it. Feverishly flipping through BMX PLUS! magazine. It came down to GT Vertigo vs Dyno Detour, I liked the layed back seatpost and handlebars of the Dyno so I went it. I bunny hopped countless obstacles and garbage cans with this and it always saw me through.

Early 90's Haro with bent top tube and speckled purple on gray paint job, it was light! It got ran over in the driveway.

Giant Allgre Road bike. It was red and orange, I never really got into it at the time, I ended up selling it for $200 cause some ****** ripped me off (You know who you are, and no I havent forgotten.)

GT Bike in black with Triple Triangle and SLX components, a heavy beast with a long ass top tube. It got STOLEN. It was my only form of transportation at the time. I would have killed someone that night.

1997 Mongoose RockadileSX- An amazing hardtail with perfect geometry, and a strong lightweight frame that lasted me 10! YEARS. My first bike with a front fork.

87 Motiv rigid "mountain" bike. My least expensive new bike ever, I bought it from a sporting goods store to "commute" on. This bike ignited my passion for mountain biking after a friend showed me what "singletrack" was all about.

A red one, a green one, and then a red 3 speed Schwinn varsity that was stolen and replaced (thanks Uncle Harry) by a black Raleigh 3 speed with those cool gum sidewall Rudge tires which accounts for my yute.

In my Yuppie days a Peugoet 10 speed until I and it were hit by the bus; a Basso Tretubi with full Super Record and Mavics (paid for by Metro-Dade for hitting me, thanks a lot) but I soon had to give up riding due to the injuries suffered.

Fast forward 15 years: able to heave my now vast bulk back on a Raleigh C30 hybrid a few years ago which presently serves as a platform for grand daughters kiddie seat and current ride is Haro Flightline Comp with which I inch up and down Forest Service roads.

1990 or 1991 (?) black Giant rigid (so crappy that I deliberately abandoned it locked to a dorm stairwell railing one spring when moving out, I hated it that much. Sacrificial waste of a U-lock there.

1997 blue Bianchi Peregrine HT with upgraded RoxShox Judy fork - was OK (nice saddle) and still have it. Gave it to the unsuspecting wife to ride telling her how great it was which she believed since she hated her premarriage 10-ton Huffy.

I go through bikes faster than I go through pairs of socks and in the last past few years, I have bought and sold many bikes as I enjoy building them, riding for a while and let them go, but the ones that I currently own are :

Which one I ride most? El Mariachi became a prefered ride almost every where as I had too much of suspension with # 1 and 2 till I came across the Sultan and today for the first time I rode it and man, what a rig it is, light, quick and enough travel for my riding style as I am getting older.

Some that i remember and the ones that i never forget..

I can remember long ago 21 yrs or maybe more i had a Haro Team Extreme in Black with Splatter Grey dots or was it silver? Nice ride. Then i had a Haro Extreme in Electric blue. Fisher AL-1 and a Supercaliber then Some GT Zaskars and a STS 3000 and to my Beautiful Litespeed OCOEE FS that got stolen from the guy i sold it to (i was going to buy it back you see) Then an Litespeed Obed and a Zaskar from mid ninetys that i now use for my winter bike with rigid fork and Nokian 288 winter tires.That was my period of trying out different bikes-Until i met THE Brand above all others 20 yrs ago. Well that's my opinion as you will know;-) KLEIN. Needless to say only Pre trek then. It started with some Pinnacles and it really took off when i got the 1990 Attitude in Team Colours. Well it is too many to list here so i post a link to the oldklein site if you guys want to see some of the ones that i have had during the years and the ones that i have now. I only have 6 Left at this moment.
My Beautiful Adroit 93 model in Painted Desert colour with lots of yummi parts(7.58 kgs and still it's on a diet the goal is 7.1 or so)
Horizon linear fade Attitude 92 model and my Mantra Pro 96 model with rigid fork and my Attitude Backfire 91 Model And a Sea And Sky Attitude 94 model and finally a Attitude that i have stripped for paint cause it was not nice. I am going to paint it into a really nice Flare that will glow even more than the Chicken sign at Kramers appartement hehe.. I will now look for a Dekerf or maybe a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon to build a hardtail with discbrakes and Sid worldcup.

Some that i remember and the ones that i never forget..

I can remember long ago 21 yrs or maybe more i had a Haro Team Extreme in Black with Splatter Grey dots or was it silver? Nice ride. Then i had a Haro Extreme in Electric blue. Fisher AL-1 and a Supercaliber then Some GT Zaskars and a STS 3000 and to my Beautiful Litespeed OCOEE FS that got stolen from the guy i sold it to (i was going to buy it back you see) Then an Litespeed Obed and a Zaskar from mid ninetys that i now use for my winter bike with rigid fork and Nokian 288 winter tires.That was my period of trying out different bikes-Until i met THE Brand above all others 20 yrs ago. Well that's my opinion as you will know;-) KLEIN. Needless to say only Pre trek then. It started with some Pinnacles and it really took off when i got the 1990 Attitude in Team Colours. Well it is too many to list here so i post a link to the oldklein site if you guys want to see some of the ones that i have had during the years and the ones that i have now. I only have 6 Left at this moment.
My Beautiful Adroit 93 model in Painted Desert colour with lots of yummi parts(7.58 kgs and still it's on a diet the goal is 7.1 or so)
Horizon linear fade Attitude 92 model and my Mantra Pro 96 model with rigid fork and my Attitude Backfire 91 Model And a Sea And Sky Attitude 94 model and finally a Attitude that i have stripped for paint cause it was not nice. I am going to paint it into a really nice Flare that will glow even more than the Chicken sign at Kramers appartement hehe.. I will now look for a Dekerf or maybe a Specialized Stumpjumper Carbon to build a hardtail with discbrakes and Sid worldcup.

childhood,
early 1970's;
Trike(s)
Big Wheel(s)
yellow banana seat bike
Scwinn 3 speeds;was grandparents bikes but me and my brother rode them in the mountains on fishing trips as kids.
Grandpas bike when he was 10 or 12(late 20's to early 30's),dont have it but he said I could have it IF it was still around,so it's mine,hahahahaha.He used to ride this bike(offroad) to go fishing as a kid.
mid 70's
Centurion BMX race bike
Mongoose BMX
early to mid 80's
univega road bike,pawn shop bike

Adulthood,
early 90's to mid 90's
2nd univega road bike
another road bike,dont remember the brand name
GT BMX
another BMX bike,dont remember the brand name